Applying for Jobs? Is Your Social Media Helping or Hurting?

How’s your job search going? Let’s see: got the required degree, training, and skills? Check. Have the required amount of work-related experience? Check. Had a great interview? Check. Does your social media or other online presence look favorable? Uh… what?

If you haven’t thought about how your online presence looks, you may have a problem. Could that be why you are not invited for interviews or receiving job offers after what seemed like great interviews?

Think about it. All potential employers have to do is look online, especially on social media sites, and they can learn a lot about you. A lot. Probably more than you want them to know. They might think that what they see, whether true or not, provides insight about you personally. Perhaps your online posts reveal the kind of person you really are, your true attitudes about people and things. Maybe they don’t like what they see.

Suppose you already interviewed and did quite well. Of course, they know you were on your best behavior in front of them. However, they also know the “real you” will come out once you are hired and on the job. Despite having seen an otherwise great applicant during the interview, they might now be worried and unsure about you because of what they see on social media.

It’s All Online

Let’s look at a few social media sites you frequently visit and see what anyone can easily learn about you in only a few minutes.

OK, I see that you dropped the “f-bomb” in a few posts. Here’s a picture of you partying a little too hard last weekend. That joke you posted sounds a bit racist. Hmm, it looks like you hang with some pretty foul-mouthed, sketchy-looking people. Maybe you’re like that, too. Wow… Here’s a post where you are talking serious trash about your current employer. Is this the real you?

Do They Really Check You Out?

Do employers really check out job applicants on social media, a process also known as social media screening? Yup. All the time.

According to an article by the Business News Daily:

 “Social media screening has become a modern recruitment trend. According to a 2023 ResumeBuilder survey, 73 percent of hiring managers use social media to evaluate applicants, mainly to confirm cultural fit and verify application details. Notably, 85 percent said they’ve rejected candidates because of something they found online.”

Similarly, an article by Randstad, an outsourcing, staffing, consulting, and workforce solutions resource states:

“Numbers published in Harvard Business Review show that as many as 70% of employers in the USA check some candidates’ social media profiles at some point during the recruitment process, and 54% have rejected a candidate based on what they have uncovered.”

Can They Do That?

Wait a minute… Isn’t checking out someone online an illegal hiring practice or something?

I am not an attorney, so I have to rely on an authority such as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). According to the EEOC, numerous laws govern employment practices. Here are just a few:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
• The Pregnancy Discrimination Act
• Title I and V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
• Many other laws; click here for more information from the EEOC.

According to the EEOC, here are some prohibited employment policies and practices:

“Under the laws enforced by EEOC, it is illegal to discriminate against someone (applicant or employee) because of that person’s race, color, religion, sex (including transgender status, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to retaliate against a person because he or she complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. The law forbids discrimination in every aspect of employment.”

So What Does This Mean?

Again, I am not an attorney and therefore cannot provide legal advice or guidance. However, it would appear that potential employers can look all they want at your online presence to help make hiring decisions so long as what they learn about you online is not used to discriminate illegally against you.

For example, suppose an employer notices on social media that you are a member of a protected class, such as a minority, a certain nationality, over age 40, LGBT, etc. Then, based on that information, the employer decides not to hire you. According to the EEOC prohibited practices excerpt above, such an action would appear to be a civil rights violation and blatantly illegal.

So What Do I Do?

Given all the above, I suggest you think of it this way: Your online presence is the other half of your resume, and assume employers will look at it.

Ok, so what should applicants do to ensure their online presence helps, not hurts, their chances of landing a job? Should they cancel all social media accounts or tighten up privacy settings while job hunting?

No. Eliminating your online presence altogether or tightening privacy so much that only skilled hackers can view your social media might actually make things worse! Going to such extremes could suggest that you are trying to hide something. It might also suggest that you are not very computer savvy and lack social media knowledge or skills. Besides, having a positive online presence can reinforce the good attributes the employer may see in you. You certainly wouldn’t want to miss that opportunity!

Social Media Suggestions

Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Find out how you appear online to others. Use a public computer (such as at a library) to check out what others can see about you. Maybe have a friend show you on their device. Don’t do this from your personal device because cached/stored pages, cookies, or password apps may give you automatic access to things that others cannot see. What you really want is a realistic view of what others can actually see about you on your social media.
• Delete any posts or photos that you obviously would not want a potential employer to see.
• If you have online friends who regularly make offensive-sounding posts, click to see fewer posts from them or even unfriend them altogether – at least for now.
• Make sure your “About” information and profile are up to date and sound professional. Your online information must match whatever is on your resume. If not, this will be a red flag to employers.
• While job hunting, be careful what you “Like” or “Share” online.
• Consider having both public and private accounts, if possible. This gives employers something to see if they look while keeping the other stuff private.

General Online Suggestions

• Google your name using various search engines. Do any websites show pictures or information about you that is undesirable? If so, ask them to remove those items.
• Some search engines (such as Google) may remove content upon request if it meets their policies’ requirements. Check out the specific site to learn their removal process. For example, here are Google’s policies regarding content removal.
• Do you have an account on LinkedIn? This website would be a great place to develop a professional online presence. The free account is all you need to get started.
• For extreme cases, consider using a professional online reputation repair service. However, the cost involved might be hundreds or thousands of dollars, and these firms may still not be able to remove everything completely.

Agree? Disagree? Please share your experience or thoughts! 

Featured image courtesy of Magicatwork – Flickr